Magnetically operated switch



Nov. 5, 1946. A. s. RAETTIG 2,410,746

MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SWI TCH Filed Sept. 2, 1942 N71: /6 a 20 2/ 5 a gINVENTOR. #01525 ,5. EAL-T776 aamw Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SWITCH Adele S. Raettig, Hoboken, N.J.

Application September 2, 1942, Serial No. 456,992

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a switch and refers more particularly to amagnetically operated selective switch used for energizing or otherwiseinfluencing any one of several circuits.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an effectivelyoperating circuit controller or switch of simple, compact and sturdyconstruction, which is inexpensive to manufacture and which may beconveniently utilized for the purpose of closing any one of acomparatively large number of circuits.

Another object is the utilization of a permanent magnet for the purposeof actuating selectively any one of several levers used for establishingan electrical connection between a number of terminals.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in thecourse of the following specification.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention it was founddesirable to rovide a central terminal, which may be grounded, ifdesired, and to arrange other terminals about the central terminal, eachof said other terminals being provided with a separate magnetizableconducting swingable member which may be attracted by a permanent magnetto provide an electrical connection between the terminal carrying themember and the central terminal. The magnet may be carried by meansmaking it possible to shift the position of the magnet in order to beable to energize or deenergize any one of the several swingable members.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingshowing, by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventiveidea.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top view, with a part of the cover removed, of a switchconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a swingable element.

The switch shown in the drawing is situated in a round insulating box 5closed by an insulating disc or cover 6 which is firmly attached to thebox 5 by screws 7. Partitions 3 extend radially within the box 5 and arefirmly connected to its bottom 9 and side wall 10. The partitions 8separate the interior of the box into compartments II, the number ofwhich is equal to the number of terminals I2 which are to be controlledby the switch.

Each terminal l2 has the form of a conducting bolt l3 extending throughthe bottom 9 of the casing and carrying a nut l4 and a wire l5 leadingto any suitable circuit not shown in the drawing. The upper end of thebolt l3 has the form of a cylinder IS having recesses which contain twoopposed ends ll of a swingable conducting plate l8 shown separately inFigure 4. Thus the plate I8 is pivotally or swingably supported by thecylinder 16. The plates [8 are made of any suitable conducting andmagnetizable material.

In each compartment ll there is a separate plate l8 carried by itsterminal 12. The terminals 12 are preferably arranged along a circle inthe center of which the central terminal is is located. The plates [8are normally situated in a somewhat inclined position with their lowerend located below a conducting disc 20 carried by a cylinder 2|constituting a part of the central terminal 19.

The cylinder 2| is integral with a conducting bolt 22 extending throughthe bottom 9 and carrying a nut 23 and a wire 24.

the terminals :2.

The electrical connection between the central terminal l9 and a selectedterminal I2 is established by the use of a permanent magnet 25 whichattracts the swingable plate l8 of the selected terminal l2 and therebyraises it to a position shown in broken lines in Figure 2; in thisraised position the plate I 8 engages the disc 26 and thus provides anelectrical connection between the central terminal [9 and the selectedterminal 2.

The magnet 25 fits into recesses 26 provided in the upper surface 2'! ofthe covert and situated directly above the compartments II and theswinging plates I8 which are located therein. The recesses 28 may bedesignated by suitable indicia 28 by means of which the variousterminals l2 may be distinguished one from the other;

The magnet 25 is carried by a rod 2-9, the upper end of which isconnected wtih a manually operated disc or button 30. The rod 29 extendsthrough a sleeve 3! constituting a part of an arm situated in a recess34 provided in the sleeve 3|. One end of the spring 33 engages the disc30 while the other end presses against the bottom of A coiled spring 33encloses the rod 29 and is shame the recess 34. The lower surface of thearm 32 has a recess 35 into which the magnet fits and the spring 33tends to move the magnet into the recess 35 (Figure However, the rod 29is locked in a downward position, in which the magnet 25 is situated inone of the recesses 26, by a locking member 36 which into a recess 3'!provided in the rod 2;). The locking member 35 is pressed against tierod 29 by a spring 36 situated in a passage 39 which is formed in thesleeve 3! and which is closed by a screw 40.

The arm 32 has an outer end 4! which have the form of a pointer slidableover the surface 21 and adapted to be placed opposite any one of theindicia 2B. The indicia 28 are so located that in these positions of thepointer ll, the recess 35 and the magnet 25 are located directly above arecess 26.

The inner end of the arm 32 has the form of a sleeve 42 whichis mountedupon a pivot 43. The pivot 43 is firmly mounted in the cover 6 of thecasing.

The switch is operated as follows:

Let it be assumed that an operator desires to use the switch for thepurpose of providing an electrical connection between that termina1 :2which is designated by the numeral 4 in Figure 1, and the centralterminal l9. Then the operator turns the arm 32 by holding the knobuntil the pointer 4| of the arm is situated directly opposite thenumeral 4. In this posi tion the magnet 25 which is held in the recess35 of the arm 32 by the spring 33, will be located directly above arecess 26.

Then the operator inserts the magnet 25 into that recess 26 bydepressing the knob 30 and the arm 29 connected therewith. The recess 3iof the arm 29 will find itself opposite the 39 in the course of thedownward movement of the arm 29, and then the locking member 36 will bepressed into the recess 31 by the spring 38. Thus the arm 29 will belocked in its depressed position in which the magnet 25 is located inthe recess 26.

The plate l8 of the terminal l2 will be placed then in the magneticfield of the magnet 25, so that it will become magnetized and will swingfrom the position shown by full lines in Figure 2 to the position shownby broken lines ther in. In the magnetized position the plate i S inment with the disc 23, so that an electrical connection is establishedbetween the wire 24, the terminal IS, the disc 20, the plate I8 and theterminal I2.

The partitions ii and the location of the magnet 25 in a recess are suchthat only one plate 16 situated directly below the magnet is influencedby it.

In order to disengage the switch, the operator pulls the knob 39upwardly, causing the locking member 36 to recede into the passage 39.Then the magnet 25 is raised and moved into the recess 25 of the arm 32by the 1 lg 33. The arm 32 may be conveniently move over the surface 2!oi the cover 6, since the attractive force of the magnet is insuflicientto actuate the plates [8 while the magnet 25 is located in its upperposition in the recess 35 of the arm 32.

It is apparent that the switch shown above has been given by way ofillustration and not by way of limitation and that it is capable of manyvariations and modifications without exceeding the scope or the extentof the present invention. All of such variations and modifications areto be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

In a switch, in combination, an insulating hollow casing, radiallyextending partitions situated within said casing and dividing theinterior thereof into a plurality of segment-like compartments,terminals located within said compartments close to the outer wallsthereof, comparatively wide plate-like magnetizable conducting memberslocated within said compartments, said terminals comprising meanspivotally supporting the outer of plate-like members at a distance fromthe bottom of said compartments, whereby said plate-like members aredownwardly inclined in the direction toward the common center of saidcompartments in the inoperative positions of said plate-like members, acentral terminal carried by said casing substantially in the middlethereof and extending above the inner ends of said platelike members, aninsulating cover mounted upon said casing and having a plurality ofradial recesses formed therein, said recesses being narrower than saidplate-like members and being located directly above them, a permanentmagnet fitting into said recesses, an arm mounted upon said cover androtatable over said recesses, and means carried by said arm and carryingsaid magnet for moving said magnet into and out of any of said recesses,whereby said magnet may raise the inner end of any plate-lilze member10- oat-ed below it into engagement with said central terminal.

ADELE S. RAE'I'IIG.

